Sunday of the Blind Man St Metrophanes the first Patriarch Commemorated on June 5 of Constantinople Commemorated on June 4 After the Midfeast (John 7:14), the Lord came to the Temple again and taught the people who came to Him Saint Metrophanes, Patriarch of Constantinople, was a (John 8:2). After leaving the Temple, He opened the eyes of contemporary of St Constantine the Great (306-337). His a man “who was blind from his birth (John 9:1). father, Dometius, was a brother of the Roman emperor Probus (276-282). Seeing the falseness of the pagan reli- The miracle described in today’s (John 9:1-38) is gion, Dometius came to believe in Christ. During a time even more remarkable than it might seem at first. St Basil of terrible persecution of Christians at Rome, St Dometius and other Fathers tell us that this was not just a case of set off to Byzantium with two of his sons, Probus and giving sight to a blind man born with eyes that did not Metrophanes. They were instructed in the law of the Lord function, but to someone who had no eyes at all! The second by Bishop Titus, a man of holy life. Seeing the ardent Exapostilarion for this Sunday says, “Along the way, our desire of Dometius to labor for the Lord, St Titus or- Savior found a man who lacked both sight and eyes...”. dained him presbyter. After the death of Titus first Dome- tius (272-303) was elevated to the bishop’s throne, and The Gospel says, “Since the world began, it was not heard thereafter his sons, Probus (303-315) and in 316 St that any man opened the eyes of one who was born blind” Metrophanes. (John 9:32). There are examples in the Old (Tobit 2:17) and New (Mark 8:22-26) Testaments of blind people receiving The emperor Constantine once came to Byzantium, and sight, but this is something completely unprecedented. was delighted by the beauty and comfortable setting of the City. And having seen the holiness of life and sagacity The Savior placed clay in the man’s empty sockets and told of St Metrophanes, the emperor took him back to Rome. him to wash in the pool of Siloam. When he obeyed these Soon Constantine the Great transferred the capital from instructions, the eyes of clay became living eyes! Rome to Byzantium and he brought St Metrophanes there. The First Ecumenical Council was convened in 325 In his MENAION, St Demetrius of Rostov calls the blind to resolve the Arian heresy. Constantine the Great had the man St Celidonius (see his account of St Lazarus in the holy Fathers of the Council bestow upon St Metrophanes Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles on January 4). the title of Patriarch. Thus, the saint became the first Patriarch of Constantinople.

Translation of the relics of slain Crown Prince St Metrophanes was very old, and was not able to be Demetrius of Moscow present at the Council, and he sent in his place the chor- episcopos (vicar bishop) . At the close of the Council the emperor and the holy Fathers visited with the The Tsarevich St Demetrius, murdered on May 15, ailing Patriarch. At the request of the emperor, the saint 1591, was glorified in the year 1606. The reason for this named a worthy successor to himself, Bishop Alexander. was the desire, in the expression of Tsar Basil Shuisky, He foretold that Paul (at that time a Reader) would suc- “to stop lying lips and blind unbelieving eyes from ceed to the patriarchal throne after Alexander. He also saying that the Tsarevich had escaped alive from the revealed to Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria that his hands of the murderers.” This was because of the ap- successor would be the archdeacon St Athanasius. pearance of a pretender, who declared himself to be the Tsarevich Demetrius. St Metrophanes reposed in the year 326, at age 117. His relics rest at Constantinople in a church dedicated to him. The holy relics were solemnly transferred and placed in It should be noted that the Canons to the Holy Trinity in the Arkhangelsk cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, “in the Midnight Office in the Octoechos were not composed by this Metrophanes, but by Bishop Metrophanes of the side altar of John the Forerunner, where his father Smyrna, who lived in the middle of the ninth century. and his brothers were buried.”

After numerous miracles of healing from the holy relics, three feastdays for the Tsarevich Demetrius were estab- lished during this same year of 1606, his birthday (Oc- tober 19), his murder (May 15), and the transfer of his relics to Moscow (June 3).” 7549 West 61st Place, Summit, Illinois 60501 Rectory 708-552-5276 / Cell 570-212-8747 website: http://www.saintpanteleimon.org/ Pg 9 John 9:1-38 (Gospel) you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from you also want to become His disciples?” Then they reviled birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who him and said, “You are His , but we are Moses’ sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” disciples. Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must do not know where He is from.” The man answered and work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! the world, I am the light of the world.” When He had said Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” They came back seeing. Therefore the neighbors and those who answered and said to him, “You were completely born in previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out. who sat and begged?” Some said, “This is he.” Others said, Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.” Therefore they said found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of to him, “How were your eyes opened?” He answered and God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” Then went and washed, and I received sight.” Then they said to he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.” They brought him who formerly was blind to the . Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself. His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already, and CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! 7549 West 61st Place, Summit, Illinois 60501 Rectory 708-552-5276 / Cell 570-212-8747 website: http://www.saintpanteleimon.org/ Pg 10